Equatorial Guinea enforces yearlong internet outage for island that protested
6 hours ago
- #Human Rights
- #Internet Shutdown
- #Political Repression
- Equatorial Guinea cut off internet access to Annobón island for a year after residents protested a Moroccan construction company's activities.
- Residents faced imprisonment, and the outage disrupted banking, hospital services, and communication, forcing some to leave the island.
- The government's repressive measures include mass surveillance and monitoring of phone calls to suppress criticism.
- Annobón, one of the country's poorest islands, has a history of conflict with the central government and seeks independence.
- The Moroccan company Somagec, linked to construction projects on the island, denied involvement in the internet shutdown.
- The internet blackout is part of a broader pattern of using connectivity restrictions to clamp down on dissent in Africa.
- Despite the country's oil wealth, most of its population lives in poverty, while officials enjoy luxury.
- Activists highlight the marginalization of Annobón from political, economic, and social perspectives.